Announcing East Coast Combative Arts at Ro-Con!

We are pleased to announce that East Coast Combative Arts will be coming to Ro-Con to give presentations on authentic melee combat techniques. We saw these guys at 9Pi-Con this past summer, and they we're fantastic. Be sure to check them out!

From their Facebook page:
East Coast Combative Arts is a group of individuals dedicated to providing thrilling fight choreography for stage and screen as well as researched education on historical martial arts and fighting techniques. Each member holds several areas of expertise that may be used for the benefit of any film, play, or production company. Further more, our education programs are carefully designed to teach audiences on the fighting styles of ancient cultures not seen in the movies.

Our members have had lifelong passions in martial arts, theater, film, and production. For over ten years our members have worked in combat related programs and performances at Renaissance Faires, playhouses, film, and educational settings. Some highlights include having performed fight scenes for Stan Lee, and most recently performed with Game of Thrones' The Mountain, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson. Furthermore, our organization has ties with Art of Combat and academic training in performance and historical education from The University of Connecticut, and Central Connecticut State University.

Every event has a different budget, different budgets mean different cost, so each program is negotiated on a case by case basis to make sure you are getting what you need. East Coast Combative Arts is sure to bring realistic, yet engaging choreography and enriching educational programs wherever they are needed. Resumes and references are available upon request! So have a look at some of our recent projects!

The Awesomest Panelists

Pi-Con held its final iteration this past weekend. It was a fantastic event with a fantastic array of programming and awesomely wonderful people.

Technically Pi-Con and Ro-Con are not related, but I will be bringing a lot of the most awesome parts of Pi-Con (which I chaired this year and was a founding member of in 2006) to Ro-Con, so I wanted to wait until 9Pi-Con was over before pushing the promotion on Ro-Con so as not to steal Pi-Con's thunder.

Now that Pi-Con has moved into the history books, it's time to look ahead to the great things we will do at Ro-Con. One of the great things about Pi-Con was that it was a low key con where writers could hang out with other writers. I hope to be bringing many of the wonderful writers who have enjoyed Pi-Con for many years to come and enjoy Ro-Con in much the same way.

These writers are a wonderful group of people who are a lot of fun to hear speak, and who are extremely personable when they hang out around the con. They are always open to meeting new people, and your life will be richer for meeting them.

The Genesis of a Convention

Since the dawn of the 21st century, Michael Whitehouse has been running and involved in conventions of various kinds, including 5Con, OurCon, Pi-Con, Arisia, Wicked Faire, Steampunk Worlds Fair, and many others.

In the last week of July 2014, there was a small event that was referred to as BabyCon. It took place at Lawrence and Memorial Hospital in New London, Connecticut. The main tent event at BabyCon was the birth of Michael's daughter Rowan to his lovely wife Amy. Really, that was all that happened at BabyCon, and there were only about 5 attendees, but with that main event, what else do you need?

Amy came up with the idea of "Ro-Con", a geek con that is both a great convention of all things geeky and also the most awesome birthday party that a child could possibly have. And, thus, Ro-Con was born.

Southeast Connecticut does not have a fan-run scifi con. A fan con is more than just a fun weekend. It is a place for members of the geek community to meet each other, exchange ideas, maybe start a club or another event or event a business. Conventions beget many other great things, and Ro-Con will be that convention!

Ro-Con is 15 months away, but there is plenty you can do to be involved. First, we have a Go Fund Me campaign, linked on the side bar, where you can help provide initial funding for Ro-Con. We need staff to do a variety of tasks. We need vendors. We need presenters. We need performers. We need people to run workshops. Whatever you have to offer, Ro-Con needs you!

To get involved, please email Michael Whitehouse at info@concardiagame.com and let us know how you'd like to be a part of the newest con in New London County!